The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-07-30

two pie-plant leaves sewed on for ears
lent animation to bis expression.
And now came a discussion concern
ing the nearly forgotten tail. But none
of the boys remembered what kind of
tail elephants have, and so they made
this one of the small trunk of dead
peach tree, and tied to the end of it a
bunch of ROSTERS tail feathers.
Willie's four guests were to serve as
| legs; but it occurred to them that so
deserving an elephant should have
driver, and Willie went to the house in
search of materials for an appropriate
| garb. He came back successful, and
ere long was robed in his aunt Nancy's
night dress, alarmingly festooned, and
had about his head for turban a wide
strip of her red and white blazing-star
patchwork. He would have had his
face blackened too, but that he feared
he might soil the turban.
Then, bending, the four boys placed
themselves under the elephant. one at
each corner, and raised him up, and
the two hindmost carried aloft his tail
in their heads-a tail that could wag
with pleasure or lash the air in wrath
Then he moved off, in all the glory of
war-paint and feathers; but there came
from within him merry sounds as if
possibly his joints squeaked, and some
how he couldn't keep step. After
little, however, he ambled smoothly,
and then, alas! Aunt Nancy came
home.
The elephant was proving along the
side of the house in dignifed silence,
and she, coming along the front,
turned the corner, and, with the blind
ing glare of the sinking sun in her
eyes, came upon him face to face. She
didn't wait to look twice; she turned
and fled, and never paused till she was
in the house, with the door locked.
Then, when she had bathed her FORE
head and recovered somewhat from
her fright, she looked out at the crea-
ture through the shutters; and as she
watched it wend its way in and out
among the trees she slowly reached the
conclusion that it was homemade; and
soon she saw Willie, with his hat full
of apples, walk fearlessly up to it.
Now it is humiliating to woman to
reflect that she has had her feelings
wrought up about nothing; and besides
this, Aunt Nancy recognized her night
dress and her patchwork, and it is lit
tie wonder that indignation burned in
her bosom.
Willie, when he had brought the APP
pies, gave each boy three, and then
modestly suggested that sometimes the
driver rides on the elephant why.
of course" all the boys said, with their
mouths full of apple and their hearts
full of misgiving; and Willie, climbing
up on the fence, settled himself eau
tiously upon the elephant, and drove
proudly away to the old apple-tree by
the kitchen door. Once upon time
he had placed board in the crotch of
this tree for a seat, and this forenoon
Aunt Nancy, melting some maple sug-
81, had set a pail of the sirup upon the
seat to cool, covering it with wire
screen, and then had forgotten it.
And now a very sad thing happened.
The elephants bird leg, which was
barefooted, stepped on a sharp stick,
and STOPPING to clasp its foot in it's
hand, inspired the corner of the body
to drop suddenly few inches, so that
Willie, throwing up his arm in a hasty
effort to keep his balance, caught his
finger under the edge of the screen, and
overturned the sirup upon his devoted
hand.
He didn't say any thing for minute
or two. He wiped the sirup out of his
eyes with his sleeves, and reached out
his tongue and caught streams of it,
and looked draggled, and the elephant
moved away.
But Aunt Nancy had seen, and she
rose and came forth; and just as Will
lie was informing the boys that he was
drenched with molasses and didn't
know what he would do, he saw her.
1t was an awful moment; but he calico,
softly: Boys! boys! here comes Aunt
nancy! AHi Inc DoyS nearu anu lieu
hot straight ahead, | grieve to say,
and all together, but in any direction
that presented itself, and the body fell
down upon the ground, ruin, with
Willie sitting in the midst.
Aunt Nancy seized upon him, and
holding him with firm grasp on his
shoulder, stripped him of his Oriental
dress; and the boys, watching through
the hedge, saw her lead him away from
the scene of his downfall and toward
the pump, and wondered if she meant
to drown him or only wash his face
Isabel Freetand, IN Harper's Young
People.